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ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawVisa NewsExtending a Thai Retirement Visa During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis

Extending a Thai Retirement Visa During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thai Retirement Visa extension and we are discussing it specifically in the context of the Coronavirus crisis that we are currently going through. 

For those who are watching this video, I recently came upon an article in the Phuket News, that is thephuketnews.com, and the article is titled: Phuket Immigration Confirms 500 Baht a day Overstay Fines are Being Levied. I am going to quote from Phuket Immigration Deputy chief Lieutenant Colonel Udom Thongchin:  "Lieutenant Colonel Udom also clarified that the issue of people having to leave the country because their permit to stay will expire does not apply to foreigners renewing their one-year extensions to stay. These are being processed as usual he said. If people are just renewing their one-year permits to stay like they do every year, they do not have to leave the country while waiting for the renewal to be approved. Just as usual these people are unaffected." Now should a lockdown ensue and Immigration not be open on the date that one's visa is expiring, the general rule of thumb and I believe that this is the rule that will be followed because this is the rule that is followed dealing with weekends and holidays, I believe this is the rule that would follow in an unexpected shutdown, is the next available business day when Thai Immigration is open is when one is going to be able to go in and get their extension dealt with. 

So if there is some sort of unforeseen lockdown that comes about as a result of this Coronavirus crisis I believe that one should go ahead and keep track of their visa expiration date. Make sure that that the Immigration Office is in fact closed when that expiration date comes up and then keep track of that Immigration Office whether or not it reopens because the first day it reopens technically speaking is the date on which one needs to get in there to get their Immigration status extended.